Private equity-backed advisory firm acquires specialist music boutique Advisory Mid-tier accountancy and advisory firm BKL has snapped up a smaller counterpart in its latest acquisition, aiming to strengthen its focus on the music, media, and entertainment sector in London. City-based BKL, which offers tax, accounting, and business advisory services, has snapped up specialist music accountancy firm Dales Evans, as it “continues to expand its [...]
Brompton Bicycle sues former adviser for ‘professional negligence’ Lawsuit Folding bike firm Brompton Bicycle is set to sue its former accounting and tax advisor AAB Group for professional negligence, City AM can reveal. London-based Brompton has launched legal action in the High Court against the Scottish-headquartered business advisory firm, according to court records. The defendants are listed as AAB Business & Tax Advisory LLP, [...]
AI gold rush leaves accountancy firms exposed to costly cyberattacks AI Accountancy firms are pouring millions of pounds into AI, but the industry forgot to modernise security systems and is leaving itself exposed to costly cyberattacks. According to a report by software company Fastly, shared with City AM, more than 75 per cent of businesses that identified as AI-first, meaning they had integrated AI into core [...]
Exclusive: Sydney Opera House and Gherkin designer Arup loses finance chief August 5, 2026 The design company behind the Sydney Opera House and Gherkin has been left without a finance chief after the former executive in the role quietly left the business, City AM has learned. Robert Boardman, who spent nearly seven years as chief financial officer at the blue-chip engineering, design, and professional services consultancy, resigned as a [...]
Offshore legal giant Mourant eyes expansion with private equity boost August 4, 2026 Offshore legal heavyweight Mourant is the latest professional services firm to take on private equity investment after MML Capital made a minority investment in the firm. Mourant, an offshore firm that advises on the laws of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Jersey, and Luxembourg for the financial industry and institutional investors, has taken [...]
Global advisory giant Brunswick explores capital raise August 3, 2026 City PR and advisory heavyweight Brunswick is reportedly weighing up a fresh cash injection via a sale of a stake in the firm, setting the stage for a punchy windfall for its top executives. Five years after securing a £500m valuation following the sale of a 10.7 per cent stake to US private bank BDT [...]
Boozy lunches still on the menu: Law firms bankroll juniors to schmooze clients in the City July 31, 2026 The long lunch, a cornerstone for corporate workers wooing clients in the City, has been considered to be on the decline with the rise of hybrid working, stretched budgets, and a new cohort of young professionals opting for alcohol-free options. But at law firms, this tradition is not off the menu; instead, it is being [...]
Watchdog probes KPMG over Wood Group audit July 30, 2026 The audit watchdog has opened an investigation into Big Four giant KPMG and two accountants over the accounts belonging to engineering and consulting firm John Wood Group. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) revealed on Thursday that it officially launched two separate regulatory investigations concerning the financial reporting and statutory auditing of the former London-listed group. [...]
While rivals scramble to merge, the world’s biggest law firm is playing the long game July 30, 2026 While rival law firms grapple with mergers and headline tie‑ups, Dentons, the world’s largest law firm by size, is quietly betting that an ‘already there’ strategy will play in its favour. Dentons’ global chief executive Kate Barton told City AM the firm, like much of Big Law, is focused on globalised client relationships: “We have [...]
Grant Thornton set for $5bn CBIZ buyout in landmark accountancy deal July 29, 2026 Grant Thornton is set to buy New York-listed management consulting firm CBIZ in a proposed $5bn deal, one of the largest transactions of its kind in the accountancy sector, creating the fifth-largest professional services firm in the US. CBIZ, the only audit firm listed on the US stock market, is set to be acquired by [...]